Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will be speaking in favour of this motion. As we

heard, time is everything, every minute counts and as we’ve heard, every second counts. Who better to understand the needs of Northerners than Northerners themselves, and Northerners are better able to handle northern emergencies. Anyone who has watched NWT Ice Pilots or any of our shows and watch our DC-3s in action across the North know very well the intricacies of flying in the North – wind shear, different temperatures, the harshness that we have to experience – and it is only through that type of knowledge of the land and of our air that these are the critical advantages for those who are deeply at risk, who are our own people.

We’ve heard about issues with air and water and with the larger planes, the longer routes and the more complex air traffic system that we’re going to encounter over the next number of years. This is a bigger issue and even a bigger rationale for having a northern depot for search and rescue.

Sea ice is disappearing. This is a common fact, we know that, due to climate change. This will also open up new tourism. This will also open up more routes, larger routes for transportation of goods and services. Even more rational reason that a northern search and rescue is going to be a vital, critical piece of infrastructure for the safety of all Northerners. So I will be speaking in favour of this motion. Thank you.